Congressman Tim Walberg is welcoming House passage of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, legislation that he co-sponsored.

The HALT Act would make permanent the scheduling of illicitly produced fentanyl substances as Schedule I drugs and streamline the regulatory process for scientists seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to research them. Walberg says this establishes clear and enforceable penalties for fentanyl trafficking.

“Fentanyl overdoses are now tragically the number one cause of death among adults ages 18 to 45,” Walberg said. “In response to this crisis, I co-sponsored and voted in favor of the Halt Fentanyl Act, which would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to keep Americans safe from these lethal substances.”

Specifically, the HALT Act establishes mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking fentanyl.

Walberg says in 2023, an estimated 75,000 people died of drug overdoses from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.

Without approval of the HALT Act by Congress, the Schedule I classification for fentanyl would expire in March of this year.